MONTREAL — A City of Montreal spokesperson warns it will take weeks to complete repairs to a key water main that ruptured near the Jacques-Cartier Bridge on Friday, flooding dozens of buildings and putting a boil water advisory in place in about 150,000 homes.

By Saturday, all roads were reopened to traffic and an additional garbage collection service was organized to collect debris from the 50 homes and about 20 shops that were flooded when a pipe burst at around 6 a.m. the previous day, creating a spectacular geyser.

Witnesses described the break as a bolt shooting several meters into the air, whereupon the fire brigade asked residents to evacuate due to the risk of flooding.

City spokesman Philippe Sabourin said extensive cleanup work was needed after water poured from the nearly two-meter-wide pipe into streets, intersections and people’s basements for several hours.

“Everything exploded yesterday, including bits of asphalt,” he said. “The concrete part of the road collapsed completely. There are no sidewalks anymore, so there’s a big hole here.”

Sabourin said it will take at least a month to repair the break, in part because the city does not have all the necessary parts and equipment on hand. In the coming days, the city will focus on repairing the road and inspecting the water main before repairs can begin, he said. He said it is still unclear what caused the break in the line, which was built in 1985, just 40 years after its intended lifespan of 100 years.

One hypothesis is that the water main was exposed to road salt, causing corrosion. “But at this point, it’s too early to say,” he said.

A preventive boil water advisory remained in place in large parts of the northeast of the city following the pressure drop caused by the burst pipe and the associated potential contamination. This advisory will remain in effect at least until Sunday, until the results of water quality tests are available, Sabourin said. “The water quality in Montreal is in no way at risk,” he said.

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About 14,000 Hydro-Quebec customers were without power on Friday after power was cut in the region, but that number had dropped to just over 300 by early Saturday afternoon, according to the utility’s outage map.

Firefighters had asked residents of nearby buildings to evacuate on Friday morning, fearing flooding and building damage. The Red Cross was tasked with helping flood victims, but Sabourin said only three people had required emergency shelter.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published August 17, 2024.

Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press